The 200th Hunger Games SYOT CLOSED
by feistyflame
Summary: Another quarter quell with another amazing twist. I promise the arena will be awesomesauce. All I need now are the tributes. Rated T for violence and stuffs. (I'm not very good at summaries...)
1. The Twist

**My first SYOT! Please PM me your tributes and read and review! :D**

"President Eos, you're on," a cameraman informs me.

"Hello, Capitol, and welcome to the revealing of the twist!" I say, excitedly drumming my fingers on the podium. "But first, the man who made it all come true!" I gesture towards a tall, blond man: Gamemaker Jaycrel.

"Thank you, ma'am," he says politely. I flick my long black hair away from my eyes as he continues.

"The twist for this game is that when a tribute dies, our scientists will revive them and put them in a small stone arena where they fight to the death. Whoever wins will go back into the games for a second chance. They will only have a second chance once. After that, once they're killed, they're dead."

I smile as Jaycrel warps up his description. These games will be longer than usual. And bloodier. The cameraman cuts off the tape and I walk to my room, ready to take a long rest.

Down the hall, I see a man in black, waiting at my door. When I get closer, he says, ''President Eos, I'm here to escort you to the reaping recaps." I smile, having forgotten that part.

"Of course," I say. As I walk towards the recap room, I wonder what type of tributes will be in the games.

**Yay! This is just the twist so that people submitting tributes can read this. The form is on my profile, btw. :D** **And, yes, it was very short, but that's only because it's the twist, and you can't add much more detail than the twist itself. So yeah, plz plz plz submit tributes!**


	2. Tribute List

**All right, you have probably been wondering why I'm taking so long. Well, it's 'cause I don't have enough tributes. So this is the list of the ones I have so far and probably going to make one or two myself. Other than that, **_**please**_** submit more tributes!**

**District 1**

Female: Lavender Silk (18) (Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived)

Male: Dashing (Dash) Glass (18) (CherryRedPanda)

**District 2**

Female: Eris Green (16) (xxbookwormmockingjayxx)

Male: Gin Fairbane (17) (MeepCheep)

**District 3**

Female: Svetlana Crimson (18) (Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived)

Male: Lucious Volt (16) (hollowman96)

**District 4**

Female: Aqua Marino (17) (CherryRedPanda)

Male: Timothy Porter (16) (TimmayIsAwesome)

**District 5**

Female: Mystic Rarity (16) (mystic47)

Male: Waldron Clarke (18) (hollowman96)

**District 6**

Female: Fawn Vioness (15) (hollowman96)

Male: Alex Sheathes (17) (AllieCat324)

**District 7**

Female: Sarrie Jayman (14) (OneCoolBookNerd)

Male: Max Denver (18) (Jms2)

**District 8**

Female: Rani Trills (15) (TheTributesWhoLived34)

Male: James Smolders (16) (Cairn Destop)

**District 9**

Female: Wisp Thorn (15) (CherryRedPanda)

Male: Elkay Johnson (18) (a friend of mine)

**District 10**

Female: Bebe North (15) (Jms2)

Male: Brent Hyde (17) (TheTributesWhoLived34)

**District 11**

Female: Harmony Kingsley (16) (hollowman96)

Male: James Andrews (16) (King James10158)

**District 12**

Female: America Walles (15) (Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived)

Male: Jackson Addams (14) (TimmayIsAwesome)


	3. Districts 1-3 Reapings

**Soooooo sorry it took forever to get up here, but here it is, the first three reapings. XD Plz tell me how you liked it and such… :P (also sorry if I didn't get your tribute exactly right)**

**District One**

**D1F18 Lavender Silk**

I wake up to my sister, Mercedes yelling her head off about how I _always_ sleep in. I roll my eyes and stumble to my mirror. I stare at myself and then smile. Oh, if all those boys who always stare at me could see my bedhead. After a minute of relishing in imaging their faces, I comb it down and try to decide what to wear for the reapings. I am, after all, volunteering this year. I finally decide to slip on a lavender sun dress that brings out a lavender streak in my blond hair that I got in my rebellious phase. I also put on white heels, a silver necklace, and a silver anklet with the word "Believe" on it. I plan to use it as my district token. After staring at my reflection for a while, I also put on black eyeliner, silver eye shadow, and some black mascara. I like how it makes me look rebellious. Then I walk downstairs to eat my breakfast.

A few minutes later, I start to walk to the reapings with my friends, Dazzle, Pearl, and Priscilla. We talk about things like shopping and training, two totally different things. Then they start to talk about boys, and I totally zone out.

**D1M18 Dashing Glass**

I walk to the reapings with my parents, Flare and Sash. My grandfather, being the mayor, is already there. I finger the small engraved ruby in my pocket. That kind of sealed my decision on volunteering because Sash, my dad, gave it to me as my "district token." Everyone says I'm bad at weapons, but I think I'm actually better than them at most things. For one, I can get a girl's attention in seconds and in their bed in minutes. Then I steal their money and run. I smile to myself wondering if the female tribute is easy. Of course I wouldn't _steal_ from her; I'd just kill her at the last four or something. I almost laugh, thinking about the female mentor. She won by seducing her male partner. Well I'll be the one seducing my partner and winning this time.

When we reach where the reapings take place, I take my place in the eighteen year old section. Soon enough, Totyonna Gucci, our escort steps on stage. She doesn't care much about us districts. "As usual, ladies first!" she says in a high pitched girly voice. Her gloved hand reaches into the bowl and she doesn't even have time to take it out when a girl from the eighteen year old section volunteers. I strain my neck to see the girl who I have to "fall in love" with. When I see her, I realize this might be harder than I thought. She's the girl who rejected me. She was going to be the 10th person I slept with. I don't know why she would reject me. Maybe she _is_ as dumb as people say. After all, who would reject _me_? I start to rethink my choice of volunteering, but then I realize this is my last year. Totyonna hasn't even announced moving on to the boys when I raise my hand and shout, "I volunteer!" I hurry to stage and wink at Lavender, my partner. She looks like she's about to punch me. I don't know how she can resist my cyan silk shirt and black trousers. Maybe my mom was wrong; maybe this outfit _isn't _so attractive.

**D1F18** **Lavender Silk**

He _winked_ at me! I want to punch him in the face so badly, but that would ruin my plan of seducing and killing him like my mentor. He won't ever see it coming. Instead I blush and let out a girly giggle. Then we shake hands and I get to say bye to my family and friends. My parents and sister come first and I say goodbye to my sister and hug her. My dad talks to me about strategy and my mom tells me to not die with as little emotion as I thought humanly possible. I think she's scared and doesn't want to show it. I grin and tell her I'll win. Then my friends come in and talk about girl things and my district partner. I recognized him when he volunteered, but apparently, my friends don't remember him hitting on me. Soon enough the peacekeepers come in and I am left in an empty room.

**D1M18 Dashing Glass**

My family comes in first to say goodbye. My dad talks about my district partner, asking whether I have a thing for her. I glare at him and turn my attention to my mother instead. "Hey Dash, remember not to kill off the career alliance until the last eight or so," she says. She adds something under her breath, but I don't catch it. "Sure I will, Mom," I say, eager to get this over with and start fighting other tributes. I turn to my grandpa, my last visitor. I sit and stare at him for a while, but he doesn't seem to notice. When he finally does, he says with a small jump, "Oh! Uh…" He takes a while trying to come up with something to say and after a few minutes of awkward silence finally gets something. "Don't die, okay Dash?" I groan inwardly and say, "Gramps, I'm not gonna die! I'm like the _best_ fighter in the whole district. Out of the cornor of my eye, I see my mom roll her eyes, but I pretend to ignore it. I put on a cocky grin and then the peacekeepers come in to take away my family. Surprisingly, I don't get any other visitors. I would have thought all the people I slept with would come. Oh well.

**District Two**

**D2F16 Eris Green**

"Eris! Come down from your room and let me fix your hair!" My mom screams from downstairs. I sit hunched over on my bed staring at my reflection in my closet mirror. I have freckles, long brown hair, green eyes, and an athletic build. And I'm also deciding whether or not to volunteer for the games. My parents wanted me to, and even though I resent them for making me train so hard, I love to please them for some unknown reason. "I'm coming!" I yell back at my mother, getting out of my pajamas and changing into my reaping outfit. It's a simple white frilly dress with black heels. I walk downstairs and sit at the table. "Mom, can I just do a high ponytail? Please?" She opens her mouth to say something then closes it and says, "Sure." I wonder what made her change her mind.

After I eat breakfast, I skip outside the door, a tad bit excited about the games. Soon enough, I meet up with my friend, Siera. "Siera!" I shout, waving. She waves back. Once I catch up to her, I tell her about my decision to volunteer. "Okay, so this means I have to volunteer _next_ year, right?" she asks, remembering our agreement. "Yep," I say, grinning. "Wish me luck!" And with that, we arrive at the reapings.

**D1M17 Gin Fairbane**

"Gin Fairbane," the machine that reads my drop of blood says mechanically. Ah roll my eyes. Even the machine got it wrong. "It's _Gin_!" Ah practically shout at the peacekeeper, pronouncing it like "green" without the "r." Ah don't get a reaction so I move on to the seventeen year old section. People start to stare. My mom says it 'cause of my silver hair, but ah know better; it's that ah'm always happy and my eyes always seem closed. Only one person gets me and that's Teal, my best friend. Ah smooth down my white V-neck long sleeve shirt and look down on my tight fitting white jeans. Ah make eye contact with Teal and smile even more if that's even possible. The girl tribute is called first and ah barely pay attention. After all, when ah volunteer ah'm not gonna be on the career alliance. Ah'm gonna be on the underdogs' team; the younger kids. Soon enough the male tribute is called by our escort, Luppi. Nobody really knows what gender it is because it has a feminine body, but can also be a boy if you think about it. We kids love to joke about it. Anyway, ah volunteer, and make my way to the stage. Now ah take a look at my partner. She would make a good career tribute; she's probably thinking the same thing about me, and ah can't wait to see her face when I tell her that ah'm not gonna ally. Soon enough, we shake hands and ah'm led to my room to say goodbye.

**D1F16 Eris Green**

My first visitors are my parents, and we barely talk about much. My mom gives me a silver ring and tells me to use at my district token. I roll my eyes (when did everyone _have _tohave a token?) but I thank her anyway. When their time is almost done, my dad says, "Hey Eris, if you don't win, we'll kill you!" He says it menacingly and it takes me a little while to realize his mistake. "Dad, if I don't win, I'll _already_ be dead!" He glares at me and I smirk at him. A little act of defiance if this is the last time I'll see him. It makes me feel good somehow. The peacekeepers come in and take my parents away, my dad cussing at me. My next visitor comes in smiling. "Hey Siera!" I say. She grins and tells me that I have what it takes to win. She then starts to tickle me and make me promise to give me her half my money if I win. I laugh and promise her, even though we both know I won't give her my money. She starts to talk about my district partner and how he would make a great addition to the career alliance. I shrug. He's been kind of an outsider his whole life. Then the peacekeepers come in and take Siera away.

**D1M17 Gin Fairbane**

My first visitors are my parents. My dad barely says anything except for "Win for us, son," which is said in a cold, business-like voice. Whereas my mother talks and talk and talks and ah let her because ah don't know when ah will ever see her again, if ever. Soon enough my parents are escorted out of my room, but not before my mother hands me a leather braided bracelet. Ah fasten it to my wrist and prepare for my next visitors. Teal and Grimm, my friends appear and start to talk about my strategy. Ah have told them about my underdog team, but they still don't want me to do it. Teal understand a little at least, but is still hesitant. Time passes way too quickly and the peacekeepers come in to take them away. The door slams shut and ah sit for a while, staring blankly at the wall. And then ah realize my smile has faded from my face, replaced with a frown.

**District Three**

**D3F18 Svetlana Crimson**

I don't bother to take the knife out of the little girl I just killed. Everyone knows it was me, so why bother with the evidence. I yawn and start to make way to my camp thingy. I run my kill list through my head another time. Let's see… I've killed my childhood bully, my mom, my dad, my boyfriend, the girl my boyfriend cheated on me with, a boy that tried to steal from me, and this little girl I just finished with. I laugh out loud, thinking about how good I've become. I should really have thanked that bully who started it. Without him, I would never have been this good. I laugh again and stare down at my clothes. I wear a black leather jacket, a gray shirt, dark jeans, and combat boots. I really hope this goes with my straight dirty blond hair and really dark eyes. I kinda lost my sense of fashion a while ago. Soon enough I arrive at my camp. I clean it up and dispose of most of the things sitting there. After I volunteer and win. I won't need this rubbish. I'll be so rich… I shake my head to get rid of the idea and start towards the reapings.

**D3M16 Lucious Volte**

My rat named Eugene crawls onto my face and I swat him away gently. Then I wake up with a jolt. I can faintly hear our escort, Frostine Lapworth blabbering on about the video. I jump out of bed and put on a black shirt, black slacks, and black shoes. I practically fall down stairs and glare at my mom who must have a day off of work. "Why didn't you wake me up?!" I ask her, angrily. She opens her mouth to respond, but I'm out the door before she can even say a word. I hope I don't miss the boys' reaping. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to volunteer. When I was little, I was very anti-social and was bullied a lot. So I tricked my bullies one day and killed all of them with my wits. It was awesome. And I can't wait to get my hands on another disgusting, cruel, animal slaughtering human being. I can't wait to volunteer. I smile and then I trip into a small hole in the road. I curse myself and get up. I sprint the rest of the way and skid to a stop as Frostine reads the male name. She stops midway and stares at me. So does everyone else. I stand straight again and clear my throat. "I volunteer as tribute," I say. I stroll towards the stage, and stop next to the girl tribute. She smirks at me and I raise my eyebrows. She must have volunteered, too. Frostine recovers quickly and pushes us together to shake hands. The girl tribute snaps at her and Frostine almost falls off the stage. I laugh and so does she. I wasn't thinking of an alliance, but this girl is a devil of a kid.

Soon enough, I'm led to the room where I get to say goodbye to my family. My parents come in and my mom is carrying Eugene. I gather in my hands and then look up at them. I decide they might cook him if I leave him here so I hide him in a large pocket. "We love you, Lucious," my mother says gently.

"Yeah, whatever," I say, scratching Eugene. She grabs my hand and slips a small engraved bracelet into it. My dad waits a while and then says, "Why did you volunteer, son? Know we'll never see you again." I glare at him. _How could he doubt me so much?!_ I'm about to let out a fire of offensive words when the peacekeepers come in and take them away. I check for Eugene when they're gone. I still don't know what to do when I get to the Capital. Maybe I'll be able to smuggle him into the arena. I smile and then wonder if a victor can volunteer…

**I didn't do Svetlana's POV because she wouldn't have any visitors… PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ review! **


	4. Districts 4-6 Reapings

**District Four**

**D4F17 Aqua Marino**

I wake up and look at a coral strapless dress slung over the back of my chair. Flats sit on the ground below it, waiting for me. I slip on the reaping outfit and look in the bathroom mirror. It shows off my athletic figure, earned by years of training for the hunger games. I decide to leave my long black hair down. When I was young, I was bullied about it because it wasn't sandy or ginger along with how good I was at training. Even my friends joined in the bullying. I guess everyone was just so jealous.

I parade downstairs to meet my family. Atlas looks up and stares at me. Then, after swallowing a mouthful of cereal, he says, "Aqua, you're not supposed to look so good. You're not even going to volunteer this year!" I roll my eyes and sit down to breakfast. After wolfing it down, I step outside to find Oceane Sanders, my only true friend. As we walk to the reapings, she asks me, "Did you tell your brother that you're volunteering?" I glance at her and smile as innocently as I can manage. "Oh, he's going to be so pissed…"

**D4M16 Timothy Porter**

I hate the hunger games after my brother died in them, but what can I do about it? My best friend Alek doesn't like them either. But my parents made me train for them anyway in case I got reaped and nobody volunteered. And that's what I do every reaping day. I train as hard I can so that I don't turn up rusty in front of the other careers. "Timothy, I have to get to the reapings. They're about to start," My trainer says, turning around and heading towards the door. I quickly slice off the head of the dummy I was working with and stare at my reflection in the sheen of the metal sword. I have brown hair that comes up in the front then finger brushed to the right. I have hazel eyes and an unusually not _too_ muscular build for a career. I wear a blue collared button down shirt with black dress pants and black dress shoes for the reapings.

A hand on my shoulder says that Joe and Alek, my friends, are behind me. I set the sword down and we start on our way to the reapings. Once there, I get into the 16 year old boys section along with Alek. The escort, Crocodilia Malkie, who is pretty old, steps onto stage and shows us the usual video, as chipper as ever. "Lady's first!" she says as she removes her glove and reaches into the bowl. She takes out a slip of paper and reads it out loud. Soon enough, there's a volunteer like always. A girl from the 17 year old section steps up and looks pretty confident. Then Crocodilia asks he name and I recognize her from the middle class section of District 4. Then the escort moves on to the boys. "Alek Felde," she states loudly and clearly. I stay calm, realizing someone will volunteer for him. When nobody does, I get scared. And then I remember that the male tribute who was supposed to volunteer was the female tribute's brother. _Great_. "I volunteer!" I yell before I know what I'm doing. I gulp down my fear and stroll to the stage, making it look like I volunteered for wealth and fame. We shake hands and then we're led to the rooms where we say goodbye to our family and friends.

**D4F17 Aqua Marino**

"What were you thinking!?" My brother is the first to talk, screaming at me for volunteering. "It's not fair, now I have to wait another year…" He sits down and tries to calm down as my parents take their turn talking. They seem pretty happy and confident in me. My mother gives me a necklace made from shells and then I say, "Remember to act surprised when they turn up for the final eight interviews, okay?" My parents smile and nod and then leave the room. My brother flashes me a small smile, showing me that he still loves me. Then Oceane comes in with a huge smile on her face, jubilantly jumping up and down. "I can't believe you're in the hunger games!" she screams, her smile reaching above her eyes. I don't have to say much, she's having a one-sided conversation with herself and I'm happy to let her. Soon enough the peacekeepers come in and take her away. "Remember not to do anything too stupid!" she says before she walks out the room. I smile back at her.

**D4M16 Timothy Porter**

My parents come in first, crying. My mom just sits down and cries, but my dad gets it together quickly and tells me about strategy and watching the other tributes and then my mother interrupts. "Don't die, Timothy," she says, reminding me all too harshly about my brother Jim, dying in the games. I sniffle then hide it quickly. Then the peacekeepers come in and my family is replaced by Alek and Joe. Alek talks about how it's his entire fault by getting reaped, but I tell him that he couldn't control the possibilities. Then Joe says, "It's technically the girl's fault because if she didn't volunteer, then her brother would have volunteered for Alek." Alek and I think about it for a minute then nod in agreement. It makes sense and feels better slapping the blame on somebody else. Then I sigh and hug them, saying goodbye as the peacekeeper s come in.

**District 5**

**D5F16 Mystic Rarity**

My brother, Jason, still hasn't got over Mom's death. He blames me for it because she died giving birth to me, but I still don't get it. Maybe that's because I've never met her. I stare at Jason from across the table and he glares at me. I sigh and finish eating my breakfast. Then I get up, scraping the chair across the creaky wooden floor loudly. It's Dad's turn to glare at me now. I mutter a quick sorry and then hurry to my room where my reaping outfit is picked out. I slip on the black dress and look in the mirror. The dress brings out my curves and my light skin. I put no makeup around my silver-gray eyes and decide to put on some leather boots and pull my hair up into a ponytail. Soon enough, I hear a door slam and some voices outside. Dad and Jason must have left. I race out the door as fast I can and catch up to them in no time, seeing as they were standing just on the front porch. "Mystic, you look like you thought we would leave without you!" Dad says, smiling. I say a thank you and then start walking with them.

**D5M18 Waldron Clarke**

Brett, Miles, and Clio are huddled together, talking nonstop as my gang members and I walk to the reapings. Sharmine, the only girl in the gang walks next to me talking about my _brilliant_ idea of volunteering. I have two bags of weapons slung over my shoulder, ready to be sold. Our gang is dangerous and robs stores often, sells drugs and weapons, and other dangerous, fun stuff. I get the weapons from my dad who's a peacekeeper. I reach my house and stop while my gang keeps going. I stuff the bags under a bush in the front yard and throw open the door. My family is probably already at the reapings, so I slip on a black hoodie with black sweatpants and black shoes. Then I get out the door and to the reapings.

Once there, I duck into the crowds and wait for the escort to read the male name. The female tribute isn't a volunteer, which is kind of disappointing, but the escort, Heather Catana, quickly moves on to the male name. "Waldron Clarke," she says. I open my mouth to volunteer then realize that she called _my_ name. I smile and stroll towards the stage. Clio starts to volunteer, but I shake my head and smile even broader. Then I shake hands with the female tribute, Mystic I think her name is, and walk to the room where I will see my family and gang members before I go into the games.

**D5F16 Mystic Rarity**

My dad and Jason come in first sobbing. Or at least, _Dad_ is sobbing. Jason sits down on a velvet couch and stares out the window, his chin propped up on his hand. Dad sits down next to me and hugs me. He slips something into my hand, but I don't look at it yet. "Why did it have to be you, Mystic? Why?" Dad wails, putting his hands to his face. "First your mom and now you." I wince at the word, "mom," wondering if Jason noticed. Then the peacekeepers come in and I don't have any more time to say anything. My best friends, Neva and Carter, come in next, not crying as much, but still obviously sad. Carter talks about not going to the cornucopia, but then Neva tells me to go to the cornucopia because I wouldn't get any supplies otherwise. They start arguing about it until they reach an agreement that I should just go for whatever is in front of me at the start. Neva notices how doubtful I am and starts to remind me about all the good traits I have. It works until they leave and then I take a look at the thing my dad gave me. It's a silver bracelet with a small diamond in the middle. It must have cost a fortune…

**D5M18 Waldron Clarke**

The first to come in are my family. My sister hugs me and says good bye a lot, then my dad pulls her away and stares at me. "I'm sorry this happened to you, son," he says. I shake my head.

"Dad, I was going to volunteer anyway!" I say. "After you trained me and all… I believe I can win." My dad stares at me for a while and then my mother barges into the conversation saying things like, "How could you do that to us? How could you volunteer?" After a while, some peacekeepers come in and tell them that their time is up. Next to come in are my gang members. "I'm going to need someone to fill in for me while I'm gone," I say. Clio smiles broadly. "Miles, you will fill in for me." Clio's smile drops from his face and Sharmine snickers. He punches her in the shoulder and soon enough everyone starts wrestling. Then the peacekeepers come in and my gang members leave the room.

**District Six**

**D6F15 Fawn Vioness**

I put on some jeans, a white shirt with a denim jacket, and white sneakers the minute I wake up. Then I walk downstairs, avoiding my parents and brother who are total fanatics of the hunger games. "Hey Fawn, are you going to volunteer this year?" my mom asks, not taking her eyes off of the recaps of the last games. I quickly walk out the door, dodging her question. I start walking to nowhere in particular. Soon enough, I end up at Audrey's house. He's like a better dad to me. Here's how I met him: Since my dad owns most of the transportation companies, our family is wealthy. Because of that, I was bullied by three older girls. Audrey, who was homeless back then, intervened in the bullying. He then told me that he was, long ago, a boxer and went broke after being too caring. He promised to teach me boxing skills and I decided to pay him back, although he wouldn't accept it at first. Soon enough, he had enough money to buy a house and I learned about as much as he could teach. Then my bullies _still_ bullied me, so I sent them to the hospital. Just like that. And if I'm ever reaped, I'll be glad to have Audrey's training.

Audrey throws open the door when I knock, a wide grin on face. "Hi, Fawn," he says, taking my arm and dragging me off the porch with him. "Ready for the reapings? I really hope you don't get reaped," he says, walking with me to the reapings. I nod, although he isn't looking at me.

**D6M17 Alex Sheathes**

My dad is home today, getting a day off from work. He's usually away, working his day away. Since my mom died when I was little, I've been more protective of my siblings. I've also met Lena Haloway, who I helped get away from peacekeepers. Turns out, I just needed to open her up to the idea of love and we were perfect.

I glance in the mirror and slip on a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and blue pants. I run my fingers through my golden brown hair. My honey-colored eyes go with my tan from working outside so often. I smile at myself and walk downstairs, seeing my brothers eating breakfast with my dad. They nod at me and I start to walk out the door. My friends, Raven and Hana meet my by the door and I start to walk with them, wondering where Bram, Hana, and Blue, my other friends, went. Soon enough, we end up at the reapings. My eyes search for Lena Haloway, silently hoping she doesn't get reaped. Then the escort, Duffy Lace, steps onto the stage. She wears a pearl dress which clinks as she walks and she has tinted her skin a most disgusting green. She digs her clawed hands into the female bowl and calls out, "Fawn Vioness!" At first there is silence and then a girl from the 15 year old section slowly walks to the front as if she can't believe she was reaped. She keeps a straight face, though, strolling towards the stage. Then Duffy moves on to the males' reaping bowl. "Alex Sheathes," she calls out. My feet go numb and I don't feel myself walk to the stage, but I can see it getting closer and closer. Then I'm next to the female tribute, and I can see her more closely.

She has olive colored skin and dark blond hair that comes to her neck and covers one of her hazel brown eyes. Then we shake hands and are led into the room where we will say goodbye to our families and friends.

**D6F15 Fawn Vioness**

My first visitors are my family, broad smiles on their faces. My mother is the first to speak, commenting on how excited I should be, while in reality, I'm trying hard to not to cry. Then my father talks to me about killing off most of the tributes in the bloodbath. My brother tells me to stick with the careers or ally with the strong tributes. Soon enough the peacekeepers come in and my family leave, muttering to themselves about what they would do with all the money if I won. Then Aubrey comes in, looking on the brink of tears. I stand up to hug him and he opens up his arms, embracing me. Then he pulls back and hands me a sort of bracelet. "It's a friendship bracelet. See, I have one too," he says, pulling up his sleeve to show me a similar bracelet. I fasten it to my wrist and then look up at Audrey.

"I'll try my best to get back to you," I say, and then he murmurs a good-bye and the peacekeepers come in. I'm left in a brief silence, and then Duffy comes in to take me to the train.

**D6M17 Alex Sheathes**

My friends come in first, telling me how they'll miss me so much and that they hope I'll win. The time blurs by and my friends leave, replaced by my sibling and my dad. I tell my dad to provide for them no matter how hard it is. Then I say good-bye to everyone one by one, hugging them. Then leave after saying goodbye to me too. Lena comes in then, blurred by my tears, racing to hug me. She hands me a silver ring with the word "love," scraped into it. I sniffle and look back up at her. "Just to let you know that'll I'll always be with you, no matter high the walls," she says through tears. I smile and then hug her again. Her time is up to fast and she whispers, "I love you," before she is escorted away.

**Okay, yes it took a while, but now it's here! The next reapings! But, school is starting for me, so I won't be updating very quickly anymore. (Homework. Ugh.) Anyway please leave a review! (I've also created a poll on my profile 'cause I don't know whether to do train rides or not…)**


	5. Districts 7-9 Reapings

**Hai guys! Sorry about taking forever, AGAIN, but school started and I barely had any free time (I was also really lazy). But now I'll try and update more. :) Oh, and sorry for rushing that last chapter, I got a few reviews about it…**

**District 7**

**D7F14 Sarrie Jayman**

I wake up and instantly remember that today's the reapings. The day my brother was reaped for the hunger games last year. I shudder, and then throw off the blankets covering me. Then I get up and slip on a simple purple dress. I glance at my closet mirror, dusty and cracked, but still showing my brown hair with blond highlights rather well. Then I stumble downstairs, a little tired from getting up so early. Why did I get up so early, anyway? But I forget that question when I spot my family downstairs, clearly remembering the day my younger brother died. "Mom, hate to ask today, but can you get me a new mirror? Mine is all cracked and stuff." She turns to me, coffee mug in hand and raises and eyebrow. "Come one Mom, you know we have enough money."

"Yes, but a mirror is not essential," she says, turning away again. I sigh and blow a strand of hair away from my face. Pixie looks up at me, a glob of cereal running down her face.

"Eeww! Pixie, wipe your face," I say. She crinkles up her nose and glares at me. I'm about to tell her it got all over her shirt, too, but the doorbell rings before I can open my mouth. I grin and run to the door, swinging it open. There stand my three friends, Alycia, Emma, and Charlotte.

**D7F18 Max Denver**

Ever since my brother was hit by a falling tree and was paralyzed from the waist down, I've been worried for him. Who wouldn't be, if someday, their brother could be picked for a death sentence a? Anyway, today is the reapings, and I desperately pray for my brother's safety. I wake up and instinctively look at the clock. I've slept in today, it being the reapings and all. I throw the covers off of me, making a note to make it when-if- I get back from the reapings. Slipping on some comfy black pants and a gray shirt, I walk towards the dining room. My dad, Mark, is slouching over the counter, and for a second, I almost think he's an intruder. It's just so rare to see him at home, but since today is especially… _special_… I guess he got a day off of work. Who knows, maybe one of his children-us- will be reaped. I barely have time to start a conversation with him before my mom comes down, smiling despite the unhappy mood hanging in the air.

"Hello dear," she says. Her smile seems contagious and I grin along with her. "Will you wake up Melvin and help into his wheelchair please?" I nod and walk towards my little brother's room. When I get there, I see that he's already awake. "Max," he says. I make a sort of grunt noise as I get his wheelchair ready. "What if I get reaped?" I finish and place the mechanism near his bed, so I can easily lift him on. I stand up and sigh.

"You won't get reaped, but speaking of the reapings, we better get going!" He smiles at me and I get him into the wheelchair, pushing him out the door and towards the main square.

**D7F14 Sarrie Jayman**

Charlotte stands in front of me and lets out a little hiss when the lady pricks her finger. Next are Emma, me, Alycia, and then Pixie, who has taken my advice and wiped her face. We all wait for each other and when Pixie is done, we walk in a small line next to each other and grip each other's hands in fear. Soon enough, I have to let Pixie's hand go and I just stand there dumbly, praying that she doesn't get reaped. Then Emma grabs my sleeve and pulls me into the fourteen year-olds section. We have to wait a little bit before the people stop filing in and the escort comes out. Amilia Synder, our escort, walks out finally, and a soft, but still noticeable crack sounds out around the square. Amilia curses lightly and looks down at her incredibly high, hot pink heels. One of them had been brought down due to an _unfortunate_-but kinda funny- broken heel. The kids erupt into laughter, and I shake off my worry and laugh with them. "It broke under pressure!" I say to Alycia. She laughs a sort of snorty, loud laugh. You see, our escort is… How do I put it lightly…? Obese. And don't mean "mayor of district 1 obese," I mean "Capital obese."

"Guys, it's not funny!" she shouts, looking on the verge of crying. "This pair cost more than 3 hundred dollars!" We all calm down when she shows her middle finger to us. Then she smiles, totally forgetting the normal video and walks/limps towards the female reaping bowl. I cross my fingers and close my eyes. "Sarrie Jayman!" She says, glancing around to look for the called tribute. My legs go numb and I feel completely blind. But soon enough peacekeepers come and drag me out. I growl slightly and shake them off my arms. Then I stand straightly, in a sort of blind anger, but still trying to make a good example for my sister. When I reach the stage, I lift my chin up and press my shoulders back, making me look taller than I am. The escort wastes no time in rushing to the boys' glass bowl. Her sausage fingers dig around in the papers and finally grab one. "Melvin Denver!" she calls out, clearly. A boy from the 12 year-old section rolls out in a wheelchair. _Well, district 7 won't be having a winner this year, _I think, my mind and mouth not filtering what I say or think. But then a slightly muscular boy from the 18 year-old section hops out and grabs the wheelchair's handles.

"I volunteer!" he says. I wonder whether they were related or if he just felt sorry for the kid. If he's a softy, he might have a tough time in the arena. Amilia sighs and when he gets up to the stage, she asks his name, sounding a little bored, despite the unlikely volunteer. "Max Denver," he says. My mind doesn't reach it at first, but then I realize they have the same last name. So they must be related. Well, he still seems like a softy. Before I get a chance to study him, peacekeepers come and escort us to the goodbye rooms. I glance back, hoping to see _something_ that would reassure me, but instead, I see Amilia slouching over and gluing her heel back on with her gum. I don't think she knows the cameras are still rolling.

**D7M18 Max Denver**

Melvin comes in faster than my parents, and collapses on my lap, bawling his eyes out, screaming about things like it was his entire fault. I self-consciously finger brush his jet black hair that we both inherited. My parents then stumble in and my brother gets up. "Max…" my mother murmurs like she's trying out my name for the first time. She doesn't get to say anything else, though, because my arms wind around her waist and squeeze her to my face, my vision blocked by her soft blue, dirty dress. At last, she pulls away and sniffs slightly. I turn to my father. He stands a little straighter when he realizes my eyes are on him.

"Son, I'm… I just want to tell you that I love you. I'm sorry I wasn't around a lot, to help you and your mother with Melvin, or… Just, I'm sorry I wasn't there," he says and then looks down at his feet. We all stand in silence for a minute, but then I wrap my arms around my father. It doesn't come very naturally, my arms not used to the shape and bulge of my father's abdomen. I only realize I was crying when I pull away and find a large wet spot on the light gray T-shirt of my dad's. The peacekeepers come in and we have nothing else to say. Then Melvin seems to remember something and digs his hands into both pockets.

"It should be here somewhere…" he says, frustrated. "Found it!" He holds up a string with a small wooden block weighing it down. He tosses it to me as the peacekeepers roll him away.

Only a few minutes pass before Troy, my friends comes in. "Max!" he shouts. "I saw your brother getting reaped and I was just so worried, and then… And then… You volunteered! _Why _would you volunteer? I mean… I know he's your brother, but… He doesn't have much to live for. But you do!" I just stare at him blankly, not exactly understanding his logic.

"Whatever, Troy. I've volunteered and now I can't take it back," I mutter. "I wouldn't even want to take it back." Troy sighs and seems to deflate before my eyes. Then he rocks back and forth on his heels, nervous and depressed beyond recognition. I guess time really does fly, because before I knew it, 3 peacekeepers came in and escorted Troy towards the door.

"Don't die!" he shouts, and then the door shuts, only to open back up later with all the girls who have a crush on me. I zone out through most of their conversations.

**D7F Sarrie Jayman**

I gently touch the golden necklace I got when I was born. It seems to be attached to me forever, even if tomorrow I lose it. I barely get time to think it over because my family rushes in, sobbing and tripping over each other. Pixie comes at me, her arms open wide. "Sarrie! You've been reaped, oh my god, you've been reaped!" she says, her words barely audible, covered by the sound of sobs. "Sarrie…" she whines. "Why?!" Now her voice rises in anger and her tears seem to bake off her cheeks, steamed by the burning raging heat of anger. My mother comes forward then, opening and closing her mouth like she wants to talk, but she's become an Avox.

"Sarrie… Sweetie, just… Oh god, just please don't die," she says. She opens her mouth once more, like she has to say some other words, but her tears interrupt her. My father steps in from there.

"Sarrie, we believe in you, and we think that you can make it. Don't let them bring you down. You deserve the win. Sarrie, the Capital will be cruel, but you have to play by their rules, or they're going to shoot you down. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" I sniff and nod my head. I just want my death to come quickly. The peacekeepers come in and my friends don't even wait for my parents to leave. They just barge in. The peacekeepers ignore them and focus on taking my family out of the room.

"Sarrie, I can't believe it's you," Emma starts when the door shuts. "I can't believe that _you're _the tribute…!" She stops and starts whining about how life is always cruel.

Charlotte cuts in, saying, "Oh Sarrie, please, oh please, don't go. We _need_ you! We couldn't live with the fact that we did nothing while you were unfairly reaped to your death. We just couldn't"

"Sarrie, Charlotte is right, I should have volunteered. At least one of us should have volunteered," Alycia murmurs.

That sets me off. "No! Come on, if you volunteered, I'd be holding the fact that it was _me_ who led you to the arena of death. It was _me_, your _friend_ whose fault it would be.

My three friends sit in silence, contemplating this, until the peacekeepers come in and I swear that they had less time with me. All I hear are the sobs and cries coming from my friends. Then when the door shuts loudly, I realize it's me who's crying.

**District Eight**

**D8F15 Rani Trills**

I wake up to the _amazing_ smell of cinnamon. That's the only thing that gets me out of bed. Today is the reaping, so I want to spend as much time in bed as possible, but then I'll miss that tantalizing breakfast of cinnamon rolls, and I won't get to lick the spatula, like my dad promised. So I quickly move the bed sheets away from me and swing my legs over the side of the bed. My eyes come to rest on my dresser, decorated with many jewelry products that I've decided to keep. I started a jewelry business when I was ten, and that kept my family out momentarily. Then I turn my head and look at the dress I took out. It's a light blue and silver dress with silver heels waiting by the door. I groggily sigh and stumble towards my closet. Slipping on the dress, I walk towards my dresser, less groggy than I was one minute ago. I sit down on the stool and apply some bright red lipstick. It makes my striking white-blond hair and bright blue eyes stand out. "Rani, Violetta! Breakfast is ready!" I hear my mother shout from the dining room. I grin to myself and follow the scent of cinnamon. When I get there, I immediately grab a cinnamon roll and start licking the frosting off. _Yum._ Soft footsteps and the scratching sound of a chair being pulled out tell me that my sister, Violetta has sat down at the table.

"Hello, Violetta," I say. My sister is a great role model and I make sure to look up to her.

She smiles at me and says, "Hi, Rani." Then she glances up at Dad. "Did you make these cinnamon rolls just because it was reaping day?" He nods, exchanging a sad glance with both of us. "Well, Rani when you're done, we should get going to the reapings," Violetta says.

"Good luck!" Mom shouts, from the laundry room. "We'll be there in a minute."

**D8M16 James Smolder**

I slowly polish the fire truck, rubbing a wet cloth over it, making it so that I can see my own dirty brown hair. Heavy footsteps behind me tell me that the firehouse captain is approaching. I scrub faster, hoping to impress him. "You know, we don't expect much from you today, since there are reapings" he says. I shrug. "All right well you can go when you want to," he says, walking back through the doors. Yes, I'm a firefighter… Well, I just polish trucks, but my brother has saved many lives, earning him the rank of "smoke eater". I wish I could get up to that rank, which is why I work as hard as I can, even on off days. My dad works in the same firehouse as me, and my mom is a trauma medic.

The slam of the firehouse doors shakes me from my thoughts and I turn to see the captain walking away from the heavy, glass doors. I sigh, and drop the cloth. I might as well get ready for the reapings, if I have nobody to see the work I've done. I dig my hands into my pockets and follow the firehouse captain.

When I get to my house, I realize that my family has already left for the reapings. I must be later than I thought. Checking a clock, I realize that I probably won't make it in time to see the video. Hey, at least I'll miss the boring part.

I walk to my room and look through my closet. Finding nothing too fancy to wear, I glance down at what I'm wearing. It's my exercise outfit, from running ten miles before going to the station, like I always do. I guess that'll do, I don't really mind the stink; I just hope other people don't either.

Then I jog out the door, checking the clock once again, and start on my way to the reapings.

**D8F15 Rani Trills**

The video seems to be a tad bit longer this year, or maybe that's just me. After watching the same thing every year, it gets a little boring. But I bear through it and soon enough, the escort, Carlie Teal, puts her smile back, which has seemed to fade over the years as she got older. She sighs loudly and walks over to the female bowl. Halfway there, I hear I noise from the boy's section and try to hold back a laugh as a really underdressed, 16 year old boy shoves his way into the crowd. The escort seems to notice, and stops in her path to wait for him to settle down and notice all the eyes trained on him and his huge muscles. Then she smiles again and digs her claws into the bowl. I get no time to think about what would happen if Violetta was picked. She reads the name: "Rani Trills!" And I almost collapse.

I recover in no time, and instantly start thinking about how my family will react. On the verge of tears, but still keeping my cool, I walk to the stage. I turn to see my friend, Izzy Rose, opening her mouth to volunteer, probably. I shake my head and she closes it with a sad look at me. Carlie wastes no time in getting familiar with me. She's already making her way to the boys' bowl when I take my first on the over polished floor of the stage. She pulls out a name and reads it after finally taking a moment to look me up and down. She wrinkles her nose at me, which kind of hurts. But, I did already know that I probably wouldn't stand a chance in the arena.

"James Smolder," she says in the mic. The crowd of boys turns around to look at the guy who was late. He sticks his jaw out and narrows his eyes as he walks up to where I stand, looking dangerously angry. But it gets me thinking that maybe we might have a victor this year.

We shake hands when he gets up to the stage, and I can tell that Carlie thinks he could win, too. Then we are led to the small, shady rooms where we will see our families for what might be the last time.

**D8M16 James Smolder**

I sit down on the velvet couch, staring out the dusty window. All the kids are filing out, and two families are hurrying towards the stage, eager to see their unlucky kids. One of those families is mine.

The first person who barges through the old wooden door is my dad who looks like he's been crying for a while. My mom follows, her face expressing no emotion. My brother comes in last, looking like he bit into a sour apple. My dad wraps his hands around me, and I bury my face into his shirt, like I did when I was a child, and I silently let a tear fall. Then I pull away and wipe my cheeks. "I can't do it," I say, so quietly it could have been in my head.

My mother steps in, her face finally softening, something unusual from her years working as a trauma medic. "Nonsense. You're James Smolder, you never give up." Then her eyebrows wrinkle together and I think I see a tear leaking out of her eye. She turns away before I can say anything, though, and when she looks back at me, her familiar, stone-hard face appears. She stands beside my father, who's using a handkerchief to wipe away a few tears. My brother bites his lip and wrings his hands.

"Um… Listen, James…" he starts. "You just have to win, okay? Just… come back." And then the peacekeepers come in and we have no more time to talk.

My next visitor kind of surprises me. She's the girl from across the firehouse. She smiles at me and then looks at the ground. "Um… Good luck," she says, still looking at the ground. I smile at her.

"Thanks. I think I'll need it," I say. She looks up at me and smiles when her eyes meet my gray ones. She walks up to me and I realize that her hair smells like lavender. Her hazel eyes flick up to me and she flashes a set of perfectly straight, white teeth at me, something odd in the districts. But we just stand there, awkwardly for a few minutes, until her time is up.

She is quickly replaced by the firehouse captain. He wears a worried expression, and walks hurriedly to me. I smile at him, a really fake smile, masking my fear of the hunger games. He smiles back, a quick one. "Listen, James," he starts. "I know how much you've been trying to become a great fireman. And I know that if you would have… stayed longer, you definitely would be great. I smile at him, a real one this time. He hands me a medal with two crossed ladders, a flame on one side, and two fire axes on the other. It becomes heavy in my hands and I look up at him. He smiles. "For you," he says.

I just have enough time to mutter, "Thanks," before he is escorted away from the room.

**D8F15 Rani Trills**

The first people to say goodbye is my family. My mother comes in, tears streaming from her eyes. My father and sister look the same way. I wonder why I'm not crying. My father hugs me immediately, getting my shirt soaked. My sister and mother soon join in, creating one huge, wet group hug. After a while, I pull away. My mother is wiping her eyes and Violetta is sobbing quieter now. My dad just stands, staring out the window, a blank look on his face. "Rani, you have to stay away from the other tributes. No allies," Mom says. I nod my heads, although I know I will probably ally with someone if they ask.

"Use your survival skills. You know how to tie knots right? Just make traps or wait for them to kill each other," Violetta continues for my mother. I turn to look at her. I nod again. My hands start shaking from nerves and I squeeze them against my stomach. It only makes my whole body start vibrating slightly. My family doesn't seem to notice. I bite my lip, my eyes flickering all over the room.

"I will try my best," I tell Violetta in the calmest voice I can muster. She nods, confident in me, and that makes me confident, too. I don't know what I do without my sister. I barely get time to talk to the rest of my family because the peacekeepers come in and my family leaves. I get to take a few deep breaths before my next visitor comes in.

It's Izzy, her face wet, and her eyes a little red. She walks up to me, stops, and opens up my hand. She drops something pretty light into it and I bring it close to my face to study. It's a braided bracelet, and the more I look at it, I realize it has my name on it. I smile at her and start fitting the piece of jewelry to my wrist. She grins back, despite the unhappy event. Then her face goes back to a sad look. "Rani, I just wanted to say that I believe in you. I know you can win," she says, her eyes locking onto mine. I don't really believe her, but I want to. "Seriously, Rani! You have the skills."

"But, Izzy, I can't kill. It's horrible, and I would rather die than kill an innocent human," I say, surprised at how strong my voice comes out. Izzy looks at me with her calm, confident eyes. And she nods.

"Try your best, Rani. But, remember that sometimes you have to do some bad things to survive," she says. And I understand that what she says is true, but I wish it wasn't. Soon enough, the peacekeepers tell her that time is up.

**District Nine**

**D9M18 Elkay Johnson**

I slept in my clothes, a caramel-colored leather jacket that my girlfriend, Amélie, complimented, a white shirt, and jeans. It's too fancy for me, but Amity picked it out. Amity, my little 14 year old sister. I know she's younger than me, but it feels like she's just so responsible and grown up. I loved watching her grow up in front of me. She changed a lot, since we were young.

The first person I see when I walk down the stairs is Clifton, my stepfather. He's a real jerk to Amity and I. I can't say the same about Jane, our step sister, because she's his blood daughter. Ever since Julia, my mom, died after marrying him when her husband and our real dad died in an accident, Clifton has always been out to get us. I guess he just thought his children would be 'better' than us.

Clifton holds a cup of coffee up to his mouth, but pauses when he sees me. He sets the cup down and looks me up and down. "Fancy. I like it," he says, obviously trying to hold back some snarky comment. I guess he decided to be somewhat nice to me, since it's the reapings and all. I raise an eyebrow at him, still, but manage a small smile. That's when Jane skips into the room, singing a song. She says good morning to Clifton and then plops down at the table. Amity follows her, and then we all sit down at the table. I get a bowl of cereal, and Amity pours Jane's cereal. They finish breakfast faster than me, and then go outside to play some game while waiting for me. Clifton goes upstairs to get ready to go to the reapings. When I finish eating, I rinse out my bowl and set it in the dishwasher. Squeals can be heard from outside, and I hate to tell Amity and Jane that we have to go. But I walk to the bottom of the stairs and look up, waiting for Clifton.

"Time to go!" I shout up, looking down at my watch. I hear a muffled voice from upstairs and then Clifton comes down, wearing a big tuxedo that actually looks rather nice on him, although I'd hate to admit it.

"Ready?" he asks me, although it's kind of a pointless question, since I was the one asking if _he _was ready. I shrug anyways and walk to the door. A pair of decent dress shoes sit by the doorway, and I slip them on as Clifton walks past me through the door. He smiles as he passes Jane and Amity, and they quickly stop their game and follow him like little ducklings, all the while poking each other, like best friends. Meanwhile, I take the back, my hands digging into my pockets, my breath fogging up in the cold, morning air. Then, when we walk by Amélie's house, I quickly catch up to Clifton.

"Can I go with Amélie to the reapings, please?" I ask him, instantly regretting it.

His nose wrinkles, and I can tell he hates the idea, but then he seems to remember that he has to act nice to me on the reapings, so he forces smile and nods. I grin and wave to Amity and Jane, sprinting to Amélie's door. When I knock, she answers almost immediately. All I can see is her creamy complexion and ice blue eyes. Her nut brown hair is flowing around her shoulders, soft and slightly wavy. I sigh, and am lost for a minute in her beauty. She wears a pretty white blouse and a denim skirt. She grins at me, showing off her straight white teeth. I'm snapped back to reality by someone talking from behind her: one of her siblings. I don't know how she manages to take care of all of them and keep her secret of no parental supervision a secret from the police.

**D9F15 Wisp Thorn**

I walk to the reapings with my friends, Grainne and Maisie. Grainne keeps talking and Maisie and I listen to her. Today is the day that my brother was reaped for the hunger games not too long ago. I've had a pretty unlucky life, or maybe that's just normal in the districts. When I seven, I worked as the person who put the grain in bundles for the tractors. A year after that, my sister became terribly ill. She has cancer now. My mother looks after her. But when I grew older, I became a reaper and got a little good at using a sickle. I guess I have something that might help me if I'm ever reaped.

Maisie doesn't talk much. She just stares at the ground, kicking any pebbles that happen to be in her way, probably mourning for the death of her twins who died in the games, like my brother. Grainne keeps talking, and every once in a while, I talk with her. It makes me feel happier, and probably makes Maisie feel bubbly, too, whenever we burst out in laughs after either one of us says something funny.

Grainne stops talking for a bit and glances at my knee length, golden, cotton dress. It's a little worn at the edges. "Oh my god, that's beautiful, Wisp!" she says. I duck my head and can feel my cheeks growing hot. "Where did you get it?" I frown, thinking for a little bit. I don't really know where I got it. I shrug, but I'm happy that Grainne noticed it. Grainne frowns, but quickly starts on a new topic. We continue walking for quite a while.

My family had to stay a little late back home because my mother was caring for Thyme, my sister. I'm glad that she's eight and can't be reaped, yet. Hopefully somebody finds a non-expensive cure for cancer. I can't stand seeing Thyme in such a bad state.

I only notice when Grainne stops talking because we arrive at the main square. I take a deep breath and then become the first out of my two friends to take a step into the face of death.

**D9M18 Elkay Johnson**

Minutes later, all of us- Amélie's siblings, her, and I- are strolling along to the reapings. She's talking all about how if she's reaped I have to take care of her siblings, although I know that if she _is_ reaped, I would volunteer to protect her. Soon enough, we arrive at the square and Amélie waves at me, her hair blowing around her face in the slight wind. Her siblings part from her to take their places in the crowd, and soon I lose sight of her, myself. But I have no time to think about it, because the escort, Merman Keltrow, steps up to the stage and grins at us. He says a welcome in his high-pitched, Capitol-like voice. Then he plays the video, and I yawn, having watched this for… who knows how many years. Then the video stops, saving us all from extreme boredom, and he digs his hand into the girls' bowl. He draws the name still smiling, unfolds it, and then reads the name.

"Wisp Thorn," he says, and I instinctively stand on my tippy-toes and search the crowd of girls for the unlucky person. A lone figure walks away from the hordes of teenagers. At first, she looks deeply sad, and then it slowly changes to anger and then arrogance the closer she gets to the stage and the cameras. And I understand why. She wants the tributes to think that she should be counted as a threat. And from the way she walks, I can tell that she can definitely be one.

Merman applauds her loudly and then wastes no time in getting to the next tribute. I cross my fingers and hope I- or one of Amélie's siblings- don't get chosen. I barely have time to do anything because the escort draws the name quickly. "Michael Devon!" he says, clearly. Amity screams, piercing the silent air. Michael was probably one of her best friends. The escort's smile drops and he covers his ears. We can all clearly hear him mutter "I hate when this happens," into his microphone, although he probably doesn't know. But nobody gets to shout at Amity to shut up, because a voice volunteers again. And that voice is mine.

Amity stops screaming, and stares at me with horror-filled eyes, but I walk to the stage where Wisp stands, looking at the ground. She looks up when I arrive, and gives me a sad smile. I look out behind me, and see that Amity is silently crying. I wince, understanding what I've done. I've left Amity alone to fend for herself with Clifton.

Michael, Amity's friend looks up at me and mouths the words, 'thank you.' I give him a slight smile and he looks back at the ground. Everyone is silent, except for the escort who keeps congratulating us. He asks my name and tries to hide his enthusiasm for a volunteer. While I can, I get a closer look at the female tribute. She has long ginger hair that won't do well if she wants to stay hidden. Her blue eyes lock with mine for a minute. I notice how tall, yet pale she is, and how sickeningly thin she is. Then, before I can study her any more, we are led into two small rooms where we will see our families for the last time.

**D9F15 Wisp Thorn**

The first visitors to come in are my family. I notice that Thyme is even paler than me, and she coughs a lot, her eyes looking rather heavy. My mother has her hands on her cheeks, walking back and forth and repeating the word no over and over again. My dad just sits down on the blue, velvet couch. He wrings his hands out, focused on a point somewhere in the distance. My mother speaks first, dropping her hands from her face. "First your brother and now you! How… Why?!" she wails. It soon fades into pitiful whimpering and my dad comforts her with a hand on her back. She lifts her hands to her eyes.

Thyme coughs once, but glances sadly at our parents and then me. I don't know how both my parents will fare without me helping them care for her. I sniffle and Thyme gets a little closer to me, until she finally wraps her thin arms around my torso. She's so tiny that for a second, I think that she is 4 rather than 8. Her frame seems so delicate, that I actually feel happy that I was reaped and not her. But the peacekeepers come in and separate us. Thyme starts whimpering and my mom cries under the soothing voice of my father. Before they leave, though, Thyme places a little silver object in my palm. I say thank you and when the door slams behind them, I check what the object is. It's a tiny silver piece of grain, and it will remind of home for the last few days of my life. All I can wish is that I survive the dreaded games.

A loud creak and then a slam tell me that my friends arrived in the shady room. I instantly walk towards them and hug the closest person, who just so happens to be Maisie. Her body shakes and my shoulder gets a little damp. Grainne sooths her with soft, kindly spoken words. I can only guess what she's going through. After watching _both_ her twins die in the hunger games, I can't imagine what it must be like to see her own best friend go in, too. "Wisssppp…" Maisie groans, tearing away from the warm embrace. "I…" she sniffles, and then continues. "I don't want you to go. It's stupid. All of this is stupid." Grainne rubs the back of her neck, looking at the ground, probably agreeing with Maisie, like I am.

I wish I could be bubbly and happy today, right now, like I usually am, but just pure sadness rushes out of my body. And it hurts like heck. "Maisie, Grainne," I start, surprised at the calmness in my voice. "If I… die, will you take care of Thyme? I'm not sure my parents could handle it if two out of three of their children died." Maisie nods and Grainne gives me a sad look. "_Please,_" I say.

Grainne bites her lip, but after a minute, she says, "Of course." And that's when the peacekeepers come in.

**D9M18 Elkay Johnson**

Clifton comes in first, storming in, his hands formed into fists. His knuckles are turning white, and his face is turning red. "WHY'D YOU DO IT?" he seethes, literally spitting the words on me. I wince, and watch as Amity and Jane walk in, Amity with a horror-struck, tear-streaked face, and Jane, innocently smiling, not really understanding the reality of the hunger games yet. I envy her.

Clifton keeps shouting at me, until he gets so angry that he actually slaps me across the face, so hard that I immediately put my hand up to my cheek, rubbing the spot. The peacekeepers hear the shouts and come barging through the door, dragging Clifton back out. The shouting stops after a while, and it's just Amity, Jane, and me.

Amity bites her lip. She puts her hands behind her back and looks at the ground. There's a long silence, before she finally says, "Thanks for… volunteering for Michael…" I smile at her, and am about to respond when three peacekeepers come in and tell her and Jane that time's up. Amity starts crying again, but manages to drag herself outside, Jane following with a happy wave. I smile at her total innocence, and then focus on the next group of visitors, my friends, who all have sad beyond belief faces, something I never see from them. Then a tear leaks out from my eye, and then another, and another, until I'm crying nonstop. The peacekeepers come and take them away when the time is up, but I still keep crying, wondering how Amity and Jane are going to fare without me.

My next and probably last visitor is Amélie, her eyes red and puffy. "Elkay, you have some good skills. You can win," she says, placing a cold hand on my cheek. I touch that hand and close my eyes.

"Thank you, Amélie," I murmur, feeling her warm breaths against my nose and face. She says something, but I don't catch it and I don't care, because before I know it, she has pressed her lips against mine, and butterflies explode in my stomach. I feel my lips spread up in a smile and I wrap an arm around her neck, feeling every muscle that tightens and moves. I slide it down her back and she puts her other hand on my shoulder. We stay that way for a while, neither of us wanting to let go. But we have to when a peacekeeper walks in and informs us that the time is up in a mechanical voice, like he has seen many tributes kiss. Maybe he has.

**Yay! So only one more chapter of reapings. Please R&R and don't expect any updates soon. :) I may take a while… Anyway I just want all of you who decided to still check this for updates (even though you may have doubted me) to know that I AM NOT giving up on this story. I just probably will take forever to write the chapters. :) Anyway, see you next time!**


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